We Were Just Playing Scrabble, We Swear!
by Temperance-is -a -virtue
Summary: Staying out late. Always busy. Hiding things. Lying. What are Dr. Saroyan and Dr. Addy up to? It couldn't be JUST Scrabble, could it? CZ! You demand, I supply!
1. Chapter 1

Okay! So on my other CZ story, **The Eyebrow Lift**, a lot of reviewers started requesting that I get Cam and Zach together. (The noise became deafening after a while). I really wanted to do that, but it took a while to formulate a story, because all my earlier attempts were either really silly or really smutty (I haven't decided if I wanna post the smut yet). I hope you CZ guys like this. And you're right, there is a distinct lack of CZ stories out there.

Disclaimer: Evidence that I don't own the show? I'm writing a CZ story! Need more evidence than that?

* * *

"Hey, where were you last night?"

Zach looked up from the tibia he was examining and saw Jack a smile on his face.

"Why?"

"I was trying to get you on the intercom, but you didn't answer. I was telling you that the maids and I were playing charades. It wasn't as fun without you, man."

As the memory of the last time he played charades with Jack's maids surfaced (lots of laughing at his expense was a focal point) Zach realised he hadn't come up with a good lie to tell Jack about the whereabouts the night before.

"Um...I went to the games store."

"Cool! What did you get?" Jack asked. They often traded video games.

"I...I didn't get anything. I just...browsed."

"Browsed?" Jack started to look suspicious, "You browsed at the games store?"

"Yes." Zach said, seeing the flaw in the lie he was telling.

"Dude, _you_ don't browse at the game store. I remember the last time we went you wanted to buy everything in the store! Hey, you hiding something from me?"

Zach's heart rate doubled. His eyes grew wide and he stammered, hoping Jack wouldn't catch on.

"N-no!"

Jack's suspicion grew, "Zach if you brought the new game you would tell me, right?"

Zach nodded, "Of course. I know you would be disappointed if I didn't invite you to play it with me."

"Are you lying?"

"No!"

Jack pointed at him, "You better not be."

As Jack walked off, Zach breathed a sigh of relief. Jack may be a little suspicious, but about the wrong thing.

He resolved to buy a new game so he could share it with Jack this weekend.

Dr. Saroyan walked past and looked up at him. He gave her a weak smile, but she looked down at the folder she was holding before she could see it.

Zach shrugged and went back to the tibia.

.oO00Oo.

When she was a little further away from the platform, Cam looked back at Zach, but he had gone back to the bones he was looking over. She made her gaze linger a while, and then turned around.

She almost ran into Seeley.

"Hey you," he smiled.

"Hey Seeley," she smiled back.

"You okay? I haven't seen you in a while."

Cam nodded, "You're right. But I'm okay."

Seeley smiled charmingly, patted her shoulder, "You know what? This weekend, it's just me and you. We can go to that ice hockey game and then watch a movie or something. Bones is going to that conference thing in New Hampshire so I'm totally free."

Her eyes went to the side, "Uh..."

He pouted a little, "You're busy?"

"Yeah."

"Doing what?"

Cam's heart raced a little. She needed a lie, fast.

"Um... a girlfriend of mine is coming into town and I made reservations at this restaurant..."

"You can't get out of it?"

_Yes, _"Nope. Sorry Seel."

"Hmm, okay. How about next weekend?"

Cam smiled, "Sure, Seeley."

"Great," he smiled again, "Now I will just have to find something to do with myself this weekend."

"Good luck."

He looked back at her, "How about tonight? Friday night! We could go somewhere."

"Sorry." she scrunched up her face, "Busy."

He squinted at her, leaned in closer, "You've been awful busy in the last week. What have you been doing?"

Her heart started skipping again, "Uh..."

"You're not hiding something, are you?"

"No!"

If she answered a little quickly, Seeley didn't pick up on it, "Okay. But you know you should have a little fun, Cam. All work and no play makes Cammy elbow deep in other people's guts."

She nodded, smiling, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. See ya."

"Bye Seeley."

As she watched Seeley walk away, she puffed out a breath. She didn't like lying (who did?) but the lie was a bit necessary. She had to remember to meet up with him next weekend and go wherever he wanted to with him. She owed him.

But tonight she had better things to do.

.oO00Oo.

"Orgasm."

Zach looked at the tiles as Dr. Saroyan laid them out on the Scrabble board and couldn't help the heat that came to his face. He looked up as her triumphant smile changed to a challenging frown.

"What? The only other word I could spell was ogre!"

"You could also have spelled smog, same, gram, rag, age, rage...but orgasm would allot you the most points from all those options," Zach finally smiled as he saw how Dr. Saroyan's face fall at hearing the word options she had. He was way in the lead, she only beating him once in their week-long Scrabble tournament. Recording her points (which still put her nowhere near the lead) he laid out his tiles to spell a word.

"Skeptics."

"Hmm. Nice one," she smiled as she dug in the bag for more tiles. Gaining a blank tile, she almost did a happy dance. Blank tiles were crucial in these games. Zach was way better than her at Scrabble, she knew that, so gaining a little extra help was more than welcome.

She looked over at him as he recorded his points, her eyes focusing on the way he wrote. Surprisingly, Cam didn't get to see Zach write much in the lab. He was mostly typing on a computer. The same could probably be said about her. She leaned in to watch him draw a figure eight when he looked up.

"Ten thousand, six hundred and fourteen," he told her.

"Huh?"

"Those are your points so far. That was what you were looking for?"

Cam nodded, "Yeah, sure."

"Do you have a word yet?" he asked.

She hadn't even finished choosing her letters yet. Digging in the bag, she picked up three letter tiles and put them with the rest.

"Hmm...I'm gonna go with...Asking!" she grinned as she put down the letters, dragging up her blouse as it fell off her shoulder, "Beat that, nerd!"

Zach scrutinized the board for a minute, took up his tiles and laid them down.

"Primary. And because I placed the P there, I get points for turning ink to pink, then that is a triple letter score..."

Cam's lower jaw hit the floor. She watched the total annihilation of her efforts in stunned silence. Zach sent her an apologetic smile as he noted the points they both got. Cam gave a defeated sigh.

"Okay. That's it. I'm officially done."

She got up off her living room floor and headed for the kitchen. While there, she yanked open the refrigerator and took out a carton of orange juice. She got a glass and poured some in.

"Dr. Saroyan?"

She spun around and looked at Zach framed in the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to start over? Maybe I've been winning by too large a margin."

She shook her head, "No, Zach! You're winning because you're way better at Scrabble than I am. Plus, remember we already started over on Monday, because the last game I kept cheating? If we start over again, this tournament will never end."

He nodded, "Does that mean that you're coming back to the game?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "You want something to drink?"

"I'm fine."

Cam kept trying to smile to see if Zach would smile too, but it hardly ever worked. Despite the fact that they had been playing their Scrabble tournament for three weeks now, she could guess he was still a little uncomfortable being in his boss' house. He wouldn't call her Cam, not that she asked him to or anything. He didn't relax that much. But maybe she was putting too much emphasis on that. She should be trying to beat his nerdy ass at Scrabble.

"Come on," she said, putting the glass down and ushering him out of the kitchen, "Let's go back to you beating me."

....................................................

"No!"

"There are no rules against doing that, Dr. Saroyan. I can spell the word Zenith in the uppermost corner!"

"No Zach I won't have it! Do you know Z is the letter with the most points?"

"Yes!"

"But Zach, the triple word space is in that corner!"

"I know!"

"But Zach please! You can't do that! PUL-EEEZE!"

"There is nothing in the rules that says I can't do it!"

She was half laughing, half moaning, but Zach could see it was all in good fun. The shoulder of the white blouse she was wearing was down again, and he wanted to fix it for her, or at least call her attention to it. But this was slightly more intriguing than Dr. Saroyan's shoulder. He was already 50 points ahead of her in the game, about 300 in the tournament. And as there were no tiles left on the bag, they would have to pack it up after her turn.

"Come on! Have a little pity! You're already gonna win! Just save me some dignity!"

He thought about it, conceded and then put the word in another place, where the Z was given a triple letter score anyway.

"Oh Zach! I could kiss you!"

Zach looked up, shocked, "Why? Why would you kiss me?"

She looked a little shocked too, her eyes widening as if she had just realized what she said.

"Uh, it's an expression, Zach. "

He bowed his head, "Oh."

"Uh..my last word is...Jelly. Yes that was the best I could do. Don't laugh."

"I wouldn't laugh, Dr. Saroyan," he told her as he added the score for the game to their tournament scores.

He didn't look up, so he missed the look of pity that accompanied Dr. Saroyan's sigh.

"So tomorrow? All day." she said to him when he looked up.

"Yes. And then it will be over."

"And no more start overs, okay?" she eyed him playfully, "Not even if I cheat."

"We will be repeating a vicious cycle if we start over, as you said," he told her.

She got up off the floor and smiled down at him, "It was fun, though. We should maybe do it again...only no time soon."

Zach got up off the floor and helped her pack up the game.

"Jack thought I went to the game store."

"What?"

Zach looked at Dr. Saroyan, "I told him that instead of telling him where I was last night."

There was a moment of silence before she talked.

"Seeley thinks I'm going out with a friend tomorrow," she shifted her gaze.

"Why did we lie?" Zach couldn't explain the motive behind his own action and that he found anomalous.

She shrugged, "Staying up all night to play Scrabble is kind of nerdy."

"Okay." maybe that described her motive, but not his.

When the game was packed up, she ushered him to the door to let him out.

"See you tomorrow, Zacharooni."

He gave a little wave, "Bye."

..............................................

Cam went to her room and flopped down on her bed, bouncing thrice before she was totally still. Grabbing a pillow, she hugged it to her chest.

Who knew Zach was so much fun?

She smiled when she remembered the smile he gave her when he listed out all the anagrams he could name from the word orgasm... plus an E. It made her want to pinch his cheek it was so cute. How many times over the last three weeks had she just wanted to reach out and pinch his cheek?

She made it a point of duty to try to make him smile while he was here.

She was enjoying this a little bit too much. It was just Scrabble for heaven's sake! With somebody who was clearly a lot better at it than she was. She should be pissed, like she was at her sister for being better at it too. But it was more fun with Zach than with her sister.

Why did she lie to Seeley what she was doing tomorrow night?

She didn't know. Nobody would be very freaked to know that they were in the middle of a Scrabble tournament. More likely, they would be shocked they weren't told sooner, inquiring about how it was going and who was winning and asking if they could join in on the next tournament. But...she still honoured their unspoken vow not to tell.

Dismissing her worries, she got up to brush her teeth before bed.

................................................

Zach walked up the mansion's long driveway, staring at the gravel, his mind on other things. Mostly it was on the Scrabble game he had just played, the points he acquired, and the margin of lead he had. Zach knew he could be overly competitive, and though he tried to hide that from Dr. Saroyan, he couldn't help but incorporate strategies in his game that would completely undermine her's. But she didn't pout. For he most part. She merely smiled and continued playing.

She had a nice smile. And for some reason, it seemed to be contagious. He tried his best not to reciprocate when she smiled at him, just to test how strong the urge was to smile back. It was really difficult, and a few times he found himself smiling unconsciously.

Part of him was glad that the Scrabble tournament was over tomorrow. But another part was going to miss it. Thankfully, Dr. Saroyan said that she would be happy to play another tournament, just not in the near future. That was understandable. They had been playing the last one for three weeks, though it was supposed to be one. The game would become boring if they were to play it every day.

The last game was to start at ten tomorrow, and end whenever they wanted it to. Zach realised he could hardly wait.

"Zach?"

Zach looked up at the sound of his name and saw Jack standing near the garage. He had his hands folded and he looked somewhere between upset and concerned.

"Hi," was all Zach could say.

"Dude, it's twelve o'clock! Where have you been?"

* * *

You know the good thing about ff dot net's change in format? The Review button is bigger! So you can't miss it! Come on, baby, send me a review!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys. I'm glad somebody's reading this. Thank you to all the reviewers so far! You guys assure me that I'm not the only one who sees these two together. So I hope you like and if you do, send a review!

* * *

Zach stood there, silent and gaping before he said, "I was at the Jeffersonian."

"I called the Jeffersonian. Dr. Brennan told me you weren't there," Jack sighed, "Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?"

_Because he was_. Zach sighed, "I went out."

Jack's eyes bugged out, his expression one of pleasant surprise, "With who?"

Zach shrugged. Jack started to smile.

"Man, you have a girlfriend, don't you? That's great! Why can't I meet her? Are you hiding her from me? Is she fat? Because I have nothing against fat girls. If she's ugly, I can understand…"

"She's not fat or ugly." Zach butt in, then realized that by telling Jack that she was not fat or ugly, he was also implying that there was also a girlfriend. He had dug himself into a hole. But he didn't have a girlfriend. He had only gone to Dr. Saroyan's house to play Scrabble. He tried to get out of the hole fast.

"She wasn't a date or my girlfriend. She is…a friend." Zach replaced 'colleague' with 'friend', knowing that it would raise less follow-up questions.

Jack nodded in a way that made Zach know he hadn't been listening, "Sure. Fine. You and your 'friend' have a good time?"

Zach suppressed the sigh that surfaced, "Yes."

Jack nodded again, "Great. Now that I know you weren't abducted or run over by a bus, I'll go to bed now. 'Night," he turned around and walked towards the main doors of the mansion

.oO00Oo.

Cam woke up the next morning and jumped out of bed. First, she had no idea why she felt so exited, but then she remembered that today she had an all day Scrabble tournament to play. She made her bed with more hopping than was necessary.

She tried to calm herself down. Why was she so happy about the tournament? She had already lost. The last day of the tournament was just a formality. But still the prospect of it made her so giddy, that she turned her radio up to full blast, nineties hip-hop vibrating off the walls. She showered (using a _very_ fragrant body wash for some reason) actually chose a t-shirt and a pair of jeans shorts and brushed her hair way more than she needed to. Though her house was spic and span, she went over it again to make sure there were no clothes lying around, as they were prone to. Realising they would probably need snacks, she went into the kitchen, got down some brightly coloured plastic bowls and filled them with pretzels, chips, popcorn and cheese puffs and put them on the coffee table.

Jumping out of her skin when she heard a knock on her door, Cam checked herself in the hallway mirror before she yanked the door open.

She didn't mean for her smile to fall as she saw Seeley standing there, hands in his pockets and grin on his face.

"Hey Cam! Sounds like you're having a party! Your friend here already?"

"Uh, no. But she will be soon, so you have to go."

His mouth opened in disappointment, "So...can't I meet her?"

"No," Cam blurted, "You can come in for a little while, but you'll have to leave before she gets here." She dragged him inside by the jacket collar.

"That's not fair!" he whined, "Why can't I meet her? Oooh, chips," Seeley grabbed the bowl of chips and stuffed some in his mouth.

"Because she has just come out of a very serious relationship and she's emotionally vulnerable, Seeley!" Cam lied through her teeth. Seeley looked affronted.

"What kind of guy do you think I am, Camille? I'm not gonna..." he cradled the bowl of chips in his arm and continued stuffing, "...I'm not gonna hit on her or something. I'm a nice guy, you know that. Hey you smell nice, is that vanilla?"

Cam yanked the bowl from him, "Lay off those, they're for Za...Zavina."

"Zavina," Seeley grinned, "She sounds exotic."

"She's seventeen!" Cam shouted, hoping that the deterrent of jail bait would make the idea of an exotic, available girl sound less enticing.

Seeley's head tilted to one side, "Wait. What kind of serious relationship is this girl having at seventeen? Hopefully you're counseling Zavina about her choices, because she really should be focusing on her education..."

Tired of lying, Cam huffed, "Would you just go?"

He gave her a questioning look.

"Alright. I'll go. But for some reason, I get this vibe like you're lying to me. You aren't lying to me, are you?"

Cam schooled her features, "Just about the usual stuff...I'm kidding!" she added when he frowned at her.

Cam ushered him to the door and let him out, despite his protests. Man was she working hard to keep a little Scrabble game secret!

Wondering where Zach was, she flopped down onto her couch and turned on the National Geographic Channel.

.oO00Oo.

"So, what's her name?"

"Who?" Zach asked Jack, hunching over his cereal and avoiding Jack's gaze.

"The girl! This 'friend' of yours that you went to see Thursday night _and _Friday night."

_And 18 nights before that_, "Um...Jemima."

"You just looked at the pancake syrup bottle," Jack pointed out, "Just be straight with me."

"Okay. Her name is Betty," Zach remembered the comic he had read that morning, "Betty Cameron."

"Betty Cameron, huh?" Jack grinned.

"Yes."

"I bet she's a fox! When do I get to meet her?"

Zach stared at his breakfast again, "She doesn't like...people."

"Oh come on! You're telling me that the reason she won't wanna meet me is because I'm a _person?_"

"She is very shy," Zach lied.

"Alright," Jack conceded, "But the second you can get her to come over, you carry her over, okay dude?"

"I'll try," Zach sighed, putting a little drama in it, "But she is very shy. What time is it?"

"You don't know the time? You sure you're Zach Addy?"

"Yes. What time is it?"

Jack checked his watch, "Nine forty-two. Why?"

"I have to go," Zach took up his sweater and got up.

"Off to Betty's?" Jack winked.

"Um...yes? She needs help with something." It was an unnecessary lie, but it had come out before he could stop it, "Later."

He sped out the door before he could hear Jack say, "Yeah, I'm sure you're gonna give her a _lot_ of help."

.oO00Oo.

Cam's jaw was in her lap, a pretzel poised at her lips and her eyes wide as she sat glued to the television. The programme's narrator had said that the crocodile now closing in on the research team was twelve feet long, but that thing looked as long as a trailer! In fact, it reminded her of the crocodile on that movie Lake Placid, which could only be transported by trailer. She gasped, watching as the monstrous crocodile snapped his jaws at the cameraman. The idiot stood there as the croc eyed him like a piece of meat. If it had been her, she would have cut and run...

"OH MY GOSH!" she screamed, jumping back and raining pretzels on herself when the crocodile attacked.

A knock on the door had her jumping again.

"Dr. Saroyan?"

"Coming!" she hollered at Zach through the door.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." she picked up pretzel fragments off the couch and chucked them in the bin on her way to the door. As she passed the hallway mirror, she again did an assessment of what she had on, turning to see how her butt looked in her shorts, before she got a hold of herself. Cam winced and slapped her palm against her forehead repeatedly, "What is _wrong _with you?"

"Dr. Saroyan?"

"Coming!" she ran to the door and yanked it open.

.oO00Oo.

The door swung open and Dr. Saroyan grinned at him. He couldn't help but grin back, he had no willpower. She had her hair in a ponytail that lay on her shoulder. She had on a deep blue blouse and jeans shorts, but for some reason, Zach couldn't explain, she looked great to him. The scent of vanilla wafted towards him.

"You smell like wafers," he blurted out, catching himself too late, "I mean, the perfume you're wearing is reminiscent of vanilla wafers."

"It's just body wash. Come in," Dr. Saroyan grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

"How many games you think we can go in a day?" she asked him, grabbing the Scrabble box from it's position beside the door, which seemed almost like it's permanent place now. Zach shrugged.

"We may be able to go five. That may take all day, though."

"Well," she grinned, "we better get started then."

**Game One**

"Ocean!" Cam bounced on the carpet as she put the tiles down, grinning because it had taken her a minute to come up with it, "Ha! I am a genius!"

Zach shook his head, "No. I am a genius. There were several places you could have put that which would have given you more points. An if you had a K...you could have put it here...as I am going to do, and get points for spelling Knot, but I will also place the word Funnel here and get even more points."

She frowned, " That is not even legal! You can't put down two words!"

"Actually, one play refers to the number of tiles you have and not the number of words you spell," he informed her.

"I don't believe you. Where are the rules?" Cam took up the box and looked it over, finding the rules un the back, "I don't see that here."

"It's there," Zach smiled.

Cam read the box, then looked up at him with a glare, "Alright. You win."

"Your turn," Zach grinned.

She smiled back, cocking her head to the side and looking at his eyes.

The moment held...

"Dr. Saroyan?"

"Hmm?"

"It's your turn."

"Huh? Oh. Um..." she looked down and saw she had only three letters, "Wait a sec."

Cam dug into the bag for four more letters, bowing her head so that he couldn't see she was blushing. _What was that all about?_

"What's my score?" she asked him, acting nonchalant while trying to unscramble her letters.

"Huh? Um, I haven't tallied the points yet."

Cam looked at him, "Why not?"

Zach looked a little dazed as he stared back at her, "No reason."

She ducked her head again and looked at her letters, "Okay. Hug? Crap, I can do better than that...Gush. Yeah! There you go!"

"Do you have another word?" Zach asked her.

"Mmmm...It. Right there."

"Alright. My word is Understand."

He placed the under above the stand she had formed earlier in the game.

"Double letter score on the E and Double word score," he smirked.

"Have I told you how much I hate you?" Cam laughed, "I bet you've been hoarding those letters till you could make that play!"

Zach eyed her guiltily, smiling a little, "I was."

Cam screamed with laughter and flopped on her back, "You're crafty, Zach! Really crafty! That was like four plays back!"

"Five," Zach grinned, looking through the glass coffee table at her on the floor laughing. She looked back at him and they smiled at each other.

"How did you get so great at this?" she asked.

"It was one of the games my family and I played very often. We used to have tournaments too."

"Oh," Cam propped her head up on one elbow, "My sister is a Scrabble freak. Maybe I could get her to play with you sometime. I would bet money on it!"

He nodded. "And maybe Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan and Hodgins and Angela would like to participate the next time we have a tournament."

"You're right," she told him, "Next time."

"Your turn."

Cam got off the ground and dug in the bag for more letters, "Kincaid."

"That's a name."

She smiled guiltily, "You got me. Kinky then. That's not a name is it?"

"No. It's used to describe an object that has kinks or twists. The informal meaning is something involving unusual sexual behaviour."

Cam grimaced, "I know Zach. I really didn't have to hear you say it."

**Game Three**

"Occident," Zach put the letters on the board. Cam's lips quirked.

"As in the opposite of Orient? Trust you to see that in a lineup of scrambled letters. My turn?"

Zach nodded, recording his score.

"Kong," Cam placed the letter tiles on the board, "And that's a double letter score!"

"Kong cannot be played. It's a name, as in King Kong and Hong Kong. It's also a last name."

"Dammit," Cam pouted.

"Would you like to exchange your O for an I so that you can spell King instead?" he offered.

Cam's mouth quirked, "Is that in the rules?"

"Well, no. It is generally accepted and encouraged by the makers of most games that you make up a few simple rules when you play, as long as they don't run counter to the fundamental rules of the game."

"Okay."

"My family made it a rule that we are able to help the players who are stumped to formulate words. I can help you if you'd like."

"Nah. I'm cool," they exchanged the letters and Cam put her King on the board.

Zach recorded her points, then put his word on the board, "Variable."

"Aw, man!" Cam whined, grabbing popcorn from the bowl and stuffing it in her mouth, "Yo puh so dorgy!"

"Sorry?" Zach laughed. Cam chewed, swallowed and tried again.

"I said you play so dirty!"

"I do not! I follow the rules!"

"Yeah. You do but then you make these crafty plays that get you these massive points and you...you're winning!"

"I've been winning all week, Cam, all month actually," he gave her a rare devious grin, "And even though I've changed my strategy, it hasn't been by...did I say something wrong?"

Cam was looking at him with a frown on her face, but it looked more curious than upset.

"You called me Cam," she pointed out.

Zach looked shocked, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"No, it's fine," she smiled sheepishly, "It just kinda shocked me."

"I understand," Zach nodded.

"Just don't call me Cam at work, you know. Lines of professionalism," she told him.

"I agree," he nodded again.

Cam looked down at her letters, "Ooooh! I can spell Rockstar!"

"That's two words," Zach crushed her hopes.

**Before Game Five**

He had gone to the bathroom and Cam busied herself by clearing the game board for the next game. Walking to the kitchen, she refilled the pretzel bowl, snatching some out some to place in her mouth.

Why did she feel so giddy? She felt her hips swaying and her head bobbing of their own accord, the kind of thing that usually happened when she was listening to 80's pop. She suddenly started hopping in place, rocking out to the music in her head, pretzels in both hands, she danced around her kitchen, humming along to her beat.

"Cam?"

"Ah!" she turned to see Zach laughing at her. She threw a pretzel at him.

"Don't laugh at me!" she said viciously, but she was laughing too.

"It was funny, Cam, so I laughed," he said her name like he was trying it on for size, "You were dancing erratically. To no music."

"I'm happy, okay?" she said, realised how true it was. Why was she feeling so happy?

"Do you want to start the next game now?" he asked.

"Sure!" Cam grinned, half skipping up to him and putting her hands on his shoulders, "I'm gonna kick your butt this time."

"Seeing that you have yet to win a game this entire time, I think it is safe to say that it is highly unlikely."

"I won one!" she protested, holding onto Zach's sweater and playing with the zipper.

"You cheated, you mean. Cheating makes the victory null and void."

"Oh, you're no fun," she pouted, immediately following with a grin, "Come on, let's go play."

**Game Six...And Last**

"Tired," was all she could say, drifting off with her head on Zach's shoulder.

"We haven't finished the game, Dr. Saroyan," Zach placed the word Milk on the board, too tired to consider his strategy.

Cam sighed, snuggling into his shoulder. She adjusted her position in order to get more comfortable, throwing her arm on Zach's chest. She missed his small gasp of surprise as she drifted off to sleep.

"Your score is twelve thousand and twenty-eight," he told her. He got no answer.

"Mine," he said with an air of superiority, "Is fourteen thousand three hundred and eighty-one. I win by a very large margin," he looked down at the top of Cam's head. The scent of vanilla and strawberry shampoo had clung to her all day, and it seemed to be more concentrated now that she was so close. He wondered if she could feel the intense rush of heat that flushed over him and seemed to radiate through his clothes.

Cam shifted again, her leg lifting and stretching over his. Apparently she had no intention to move.

His eyes drooped. Putting his head back on the sofa, he let the sleep take over...

**Much, Much Later...**

Zach jumped out of his sleep when his phone rang. Looking around, he mapped out his coordinates and realised he was Dr. Saroyan's living room on the floor with her halfway on top of him. Grabbing his phone, he pressed the answer before Cam, who was stirring, was woken up by the ringing.

"Hello."

"Over at Betty's?"

Zach looked at Cam snuggling into his chest. "Yes", he told Jack.

"Still? All day?"

"Yes."

"You dog!" Jack laughed, "Hey man, I don't wanna interrupt you and Miss Elusive's time together, but I'm gonna need some help. That thing we're working on? It's just about ready."

"Are you sure?" Zach remembered to keep his voice down at the last minute. Cam only stirred a little and settled back down.

"Well, it's green, glowing and vibrating violently. So yeah, I'd say just about ready. So can you tear yourself away from Betty and get back here?"

"Um, yes I can. Hold on," Zach put the phone at arm's length and whispered in Cam's ear, "Dr. Saroyan."

"Hmm?" she said from the depths of sleep.

"Cam?" it was still strange to say her name, "You need to get up. I have to go."

"Mmm," she mumbled and sat up, looking sleepily back at Zach with a strange expression on her face.

"Okay, I'm coming Jack," Zach hung up, looking up at Cam as she stood up off the floor, "Jack needs me to help him with something."

"What on earth is Jack doing up at..." she looked up at the clock on the wall, "...Twelve o'clock?"

"An experiment," Zach got off the floor, "I won the tournament. It was very fun, Dr. Saroyan."

"Yeah it was," she tilted her head to one side and looked up at him, "Maybe some other time we'll do it again."

"We may invite some other people," he said, nodding.

There was a moment of silence in which none of them knew what to say. Then suddenly Cam stepped forward, her eyes half-closed, and placed her lips lightly on Zach's for half a second.

Cam ignored Zach's stunned gape and turned to look for her car keys, "It's late. I'll drop you home."

When she found them he held them up to Zach, grabbing her sweater too and walking towards the door. He followed silently.

The drive over to the mansion was made in silence. Zach was blushing so badly that he was warm enough to keep his window down. Cam concentrated on the road the entire time, never even glancing to the side.

They reached the mansion and Cam stopped the car. They sat there for a few seconds, not talking, not even moving. They were blowing everything out of proportion, they both knew. They had been playing innocent games of Scrabble for the last month. She had kissed him (if you could even call that a kiss) for a measly nanosecond. But the way they were treating it was as if they had been engaging in something way more intimate.

"See you on Monday Zach," she mumbled.

"Bye, Dr. Saroyan," Zach got out of the car. He closed the door and stood there, waiting for to drive off. Suddenly her door opened and got out.

"How about, say, two weeks from now?" she placed her elbows on the car's roof and looked at him; the corner of her mouth was turned up, "This time we'll invite everybody. It'll be great."

"Yes, it would," he smiled back.

"Great. 'Night Zach."

"Goodnight."

She got in the car and sped off and Zach walked towards Jack's lab.

* * *

How was that? No use shouting your answer at the screen, silly! Click the big button and tell me in a review!


	3. Chapter 3

Happy new year, all!

Though it's twenty-six days old already...

Hope everyone had a good holiday and are ready for some more CZ goodness!

Disclaimer: I don't think they would trust me to take care of it properly...

* * *

"You look happy."

Cam looked up at Angela, who was grinning as usual.

"I do?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," Angela used her shoulder to nudge Cam, "Who's the lucky guy? Anybody I know?"

Zach chose that moment to walk by. He looked at her and rose his eyebrows in a greeting. She gave him a very tiny smile in return. Angela didn't notice.

"There was no guy, Angela."

She got a disbelieving look in exchange, "Please. I've worked with you for how long now? I know what puts a smile on your face. You had a nice time with some guy this weekend."

"Or some girl."

They turned to see Seeley walk up to where they stood.

"She hung out with her friend Zavina on Saturday."

"Oh. I could have sworn..." Angela said, her brows together, "She had that 'remembering-that-cute-guy' look on her face."

"I absolutely did not!" Cam protested. There was _no way _she was thinking of Zach that way. Though there really was no denying he was cute...

"Cam, is Zavina a guy?" Booth asked.

Her heart hammered in her chest. Actually, Zavina _was _a guy.

"Does Zavina sound like a guy name to you?" she asked him.

"I dunno. I could be some sort of code name. Like it could be an anagram or something." He had on his suspicious look.

"Zavina is a friend of mine. She needed to talk so she came over. Okay? I don't know why you two think I have any obligation to report my weekend activities to any of you."

"I'm just wondering why you're hiding her from me," Seeley pointed at her, "You don't hide your friends from me."

"Well, I'm hiding this one," Cam folded her arms defiantly.

"Is she a con or something?"

Angela spun around to face Cam, "No girl put that smile on your face. I know it. There's a guy in this story somewhere!"

"_There is no guy_!" Cam emphasized, her gaze flickered to where Zach sat, concentrating on a computer monitor.

Angela narrowed her eyes, "It sounds like you're hiding something."

"Hah!" Booth shouted triumphantly, "I knew it!"

"I am not hiding anything! Excuse me. Zach!" she grabbed a file at random and ran toward Zach like he could save her from a pack of hungry wolves. She missed the looks of suspicion Angela and Seeley exchanged.

.oO0Oo.

Zach turned at the sound of someone calling his name and saw Cam walking briskly toward him.

"Yes," he replied, his tummy erupting in butterflies at her smile.

"Nothing. I'm just trying to get away from Angela and Seeley. How are you?" she leaned her head to one side and smiled up at him, a motion that she didn't always direct at him. He thought it made her look cute.

'I'm fine," he grinned. Her grin got bigger.

"You got anything on the Jane Doe yet?" she asked.

"No. But the typewriter found in the hole with her seems to be the murder weapon. We will have to wait a while to know for certain."

"Great. See you." she patted him on the shoulder and walked. Zach couldn't help but watch her walk away until she disappeared into her office.

"He sighed, but it ended in a yelp as Jack punched him on the shoulder.

"Hey, man! How's Betty?"

"Fine." Zach punched him back, "That hurt!"

Jack punched him again, "_That_ hurt! But you know what? I'm just happy for you, man. She better be pretty. Is she blonde? I think Archie comics spoiled me, because I keep imagining her blonde."

"She isn't blonde." said Zach, sinking himself further into the quagmire.

"Who isn't blonde?"

Zach and Jack looked at Dr. Brennan who turned up beside them.

"Zach's new girlfriend," said Jack, "So she has brown hair?"

"Black," Zach winced outwardly as he said it. He didn't have a girlfriend! Why did he tell Jack that he did in the first place? If he hadn't, he wouldn't be in this mess.

"And I bet she has big soulful brown eyes," Jack said dreamily.

"Yes," Zach realised that he needed a filter for his brain before his mouth got him into more trouble.

"Hopefully, we will get to meet her soon, Zach," said Dr. Brennan.

"That's the problem! She apparently doesn't like people...well that's what he told me!" Jack added at the unbelieving look on Dr. Brennan's face.

"She is extremely shy," Zach told her.

"According to him, she doesn't leave the house," Jack added.

"What does she do for a living?" Dr. Brennan asked.

"She- she designs web pages," Zach lied.

"Okay...so doesn't she go out at all?"

"Rarely."

"How did you meet her?"

"Internet."

Why does she like you and not anybody else?"

Zach shrugged.

"I'm sorry to say this, but it all sounds suspicious, Zach."

"That's what I think too," said Jack.

Zach sighed. He had lied too much already, but he continued, "Betty does not want to meet anybody. Excuse me, I have to ask Dr. Saroyan something," he sped off like he was being chased by a chainsaw murderer.

"He's definitely hiding something," said Jack.

"I agree," Brennan nodded, "But what?"

.oO00Oo.

Cam walked into the room and saw Zach waiting for he. He needed to report to her his findings in terms of the case they were currently working on. But when she found herself concentrating on the way his hair looked- messy, as if her had run his hand through it- she knew that she was not going to concentrate fully on the case today.

Expelling a calming breath, she walked into the room with purpose in her stride.

"Do we know what killed her yet?" she walked past him and stood on his other side, her finger brushing his arm, but her eyes on the remains lying on the illuminated examination table.

"The fracture on the shoulder blade suggests a blow from behind," he told her, "It seems that the typewriter hit her first, then the lie detector came down on her head when she fell to the floor."

Cam winced, "Ooooh. Who would be so angry that they would do that?"

"I think you would be better able to answer that than I would, Dr. Saroyan," Zach told her.

She gave him a look of polite pity, "Yeah, I'm sure."

Silence reined for a while. Cam chanced looking at him and saw him shift his gaze at the last minute to the remains that lay on the table. She kind of missed him on Sunday. She watched tv all day, having nothing else to do, but every few seconds, she wondered if she could call him and challenge to a game of monopoly or something. But that sounded stupid so she didn't bother. She looked over him again, and this time he was staring at the bones like they were diamonds.

Zach was wondering how he was going to spend a week without her- without going to her house and playing Scrabble, he corrected himself. He didn't know if her could find something to occupy himself for the six days that were left. His Sunday was mostly boring, till Jack asked him to help out in the mansion's lab. That had been fun.

Cam gasped softly, catching his attention.

"Forgot to tell you."

"What?" he turned to face her. She turned too, leaning her head to one side.

"There's a documentary on the Discovery Channel tonight on the Pharaohs of Egypt. With re-enactments and everything."

"I know," he said.

"Well it would be fun if we got to watch it, you know," she smiled.

He smiled in response, "Okay."

"Great," she reached out and ruffled his hair, laughing.

.o0OO0o.

"It's weird," Angela said to Booth, "She doesn't have to lie to us, but she is anyway."

"Do you think she's dating somebody?" Booth asked.

"Maybe. But why would she lie about that?" Angela mused. Booth shrugged his shoulders.

"It just sounds suspicious," Brennan said to Hodgins, "His girlfriend has agoraphobia? I don't know anyone with agoraphobia, but do people who have it date much?"

"Leave it to Zach to fine the only one who does," said Hodgins.

"The entire story has a lot of components that don't add up. Actually, the whole thing sounds like a lie. But why lie?"

"That's what we wanna know."

Brennan looked over at Booth and Angela who were standing nearby, "You've noticed as well?"

"Well, yeah. She's just been just a little too evasive. Why is she hiding this friend from us? And she's been constantly busy. Doing what?"

Brennan narrowed her eyes at him, "Who are you talking about?"

"Who are you guys talking about?" Angela asked.

"Zach of course," Hodgins told her, "He's the one with the girlfriend who doesn't wanna meet us. Yet he's over her house all the time."

"Well, we're talking about Cam. She's been constantly busy and then there's this friend named Zavina that she doesn't want me to meet," Booth told Hodgins and Brennan.

"They're both being evasive, secretive _and_ untruthful?" Brennan asked.

"Weird," said Hodgins.

"Guys," Angela felt almost silly asking this, "You don't think both cases are related, do you?"

There was a second of silence, when everyone thought over what that might mean.

"Nah," they all said, except Angela, who wasn't so sure.

.oO00Oo.

"What!?" Cam shook her head, revolted, "I don't believe that."

"Well, it is evident that this phenomenon occurs, since they were able to document it," Zach supplied.

"Ew! He's eating his brothers and sisters, Zach! That's horrible!"

Zach smiled at the disgusted look on Cam's face. The special on Egyptian Pharaohs had finished and hour ago and they were watching a programme on sharks. Watching the fattest, healthiest baby Tiger Shark munching on the other occupants of his mother's womb, Cam cringed, holding onto Zach's t shirt.

"Well, maybe you could look at it from this perspective," Zach told her, "Had he not eaten them, they would have died soon after birth. In order to ensure the strongest one's survival, the weaker ones have to be sacrificed."

"Please tell me you're kidding," Cam said, not cringing as the a researcher who studied the shark was being interviewed.

"Not, I'm not," Zach bit into a slice of pizza.

"You wouldn't your brothers and sisters, would you?" she asked him.

"No. Humans do not engage in that behaviour. It would be impossible. Unlike shark embryos, human embryos do not develop teeth until six to eight months after they leave the womb."

"I know, Zach," Cam shook her head, "I know human babies can't each other."

"The cannibalistic behaviour of the tiger shark is attributed to it's survival skills. The fact is those embryos that are eaten would not survive for long outside the womb any way."

"I know that!" Cam poked him in the side. He flinched and poked back.

"Ah!" she screamed out, attacking him again. Zach in turn went after her. They tickled each other, squealing and laughing, rolling all over the couch. He fell off the couch and brought her down on top of him, and she hit her head on the coffee table, sending them both into a fit of laughter.

They froze as Zach's phone rang.

They sat up, Cam kneeling in the space between Zach's knees. He grabbed the phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Don't tell me you're at Betty's again," Jack said on the other line.

"I'm at the library," Zach looked up at 'Betty', who shrugged back.

"Yeah? So if I swung by the library right now, I'll see you there?"

"Are you going to?" Zach hoped he didn't sound too guilty.

Jack sighed, "No. Zach what are you doing?"

"Reading," he watched as Cam held back a giggle with her palm.

"I guess, since you're at a library. Or at least, that's where you say you are..."

That part confused Zach.

"... Just so you know, you missed another charades game tonight. Jemma said she missed you."

"Please tell her I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Jack hung up.

"What was that about?" Cam asked, moving back to the couch.

"I missed another charades game at the mansion. He found it hard to believe I was at the library."

"He still thinks you're hiding something from him?"

He looked up at her from his position on the ground, "I am."

Cam folded her arms, huffed a breath, "Why is it any of their business what we're doing. We aren't doing _anything_ anyway!"

There was silence as they stared at each other. This didn't go any further than playing Scrabble, did it? And that was innocent...wasn't it?

"Want more pizza?" she asked, trying to dissolve the tension that built up in the room.

"Um, yes," he got off the floor as she tore off a slice for him. She grabbed a slice for her self, and they sat back in the couch, her head on his shoulder, munching and watching the television, as a photographer got up close and personal with a Great White.

.oO00Oo.

Two evenings later, Cam ran towards her house phone and picked it up on the second ring.

"Hello."

"Hey Cam."

"Hi, Seeley," she said casually, "What's up?"

"Not much. What are you doing?"

"Just watching some television," Cam semi-lied.

"Oh. Hey, you haven't seen Zach around have you?" Seeley asked.

Now Cam outright lied, "I've been home all evening. I wouldn't have an opportunity to see Zach. Why?"

"Nothing. We just can't seem to pin him down, that's all. Hey, I'm going to the movies tonight. Wanna come along?"

She didn't hesitate with her answer, "Sure. What time?"

"Oh, um...eight?"

"No problem. See you."

She hung up and went back to the dining room table, where Zach sat fitting a jigsaw puzzle pieces together. He had already fit together the entire border, the grass at the bottom of the portrait, and was working on a large tree. She was still struggling with an elephant.

"Seeley's invited me to the movies tonight."

"Okay," he didn't look up from the trunk he was piecing together.

"That means you gotta go, unfortunately. He wants us to meet at eight and it's 7:30."

He looked up, "It's 7:30?"

She nodded.

"It feels like I just got here."

"I know," she nodded again.

He got up, placing the last piece in place to complete the tree, "I'm really looking forward to our tournament next week."

"Me too," she pointed at the puzzle, "You can come over tomorrow and we'll continue this."

"Okay," Zach smiled, "I plan on beating you again next week."

She rolled her eyes and hit him, "You're so competitive! Can't you just play the game and stop focusing on proving that you're better than me?"

"Sorry," Zach laughed. He looked so cute. Cam smiled at him, then kissed him. She heard his breath catch as her lips pressed to his. This one was a little longer than their last one. She had time to close her eyes and enjoy the little shiver up her spine.

When she pulled back, he was looking at her with slight confusion. She could totally understand why. So she made light of it.

"I keep doing that," she put on a comical expression, "Sorry."

He nodded, "Apology accepted."

She walked him to the door and him out. When he was gone, she allowed herself a moment of surprise. Her hand went over her mouth, eyes popping and she gasped.

What the heck was _that? _

.oO00Oo.

"We're really making progress," Cam smiled, looking over the puzzle the following night. They were halfway finished; there were now several trees, lots of tropical plants, colourful parrots, an elephant and a large anaconda on the table. Cam was piecing together a big tiger.

"We have been working on it for six hours, counting yesterday," said Zach, who was linking tiny blue pieces together to create the sky. Cam had no idea how he did it.

"When we're done, I'm gonna see if I can get it framed. I hate when you fix a puzzle and have to take it apart again."

"It makes you feel like your effort has been wasted," said Zach.

"Exactly. Wow, this is really a beautiful picture," Cam picked up the box lid, "All these beautiful flowers. Ginger Lilies, Birds of Paradise, Hibiscuses...whatever these are. Tropical flowers are so beautiful."

"What is your favourite flower?"

The question was so unexpected, she rose her eyebrows at it. But then she smiled.

"I really don't know. No, wait. If I were to say I had a favourite, I would say roses. All types, but I like yellow the most, I think."

She looked at Zach, a little glad to see he was paying attention. She liked telling this story.

"When I was little, maybe like eight or so, I went with my friend to visit her grandmother. Her grandma had a garden, and she had all types of rose bushes in it. Now, ignorant New York kid that I was, I didn't know that roses came in any other colour than red. So when we're walking along her grandmother's garden, my friend points out the yellow roses," Cam laughed, remembering what came next, "I told her she was a stupid idiot because roses only came in one colour. I think we may have fought, I can't remember. But anyway the next day, her grandmother took me by the hand and carried me down to the garden and showed me all the different types of roses she had; pink, white, and of course yellow. She told me that she liked the yellow because they were the symbol of friendship. So yeah, if I had to pick one, I would say yellow roses."

"That is a really nice story," Zach told her.

"Thanks. So, how about you?" she teased.

Zach's brows came together, "I don't really pay attention to horticulture."

"Yeah," Cam said sarcastically, "I think I expected you to say something like that."

.oO00Oo.

When Zach knocked on the door the next night, Cam ran to answer it, tripping over her boots in the corner and slamming into the door so hard it vibrated.

"Ow," she moaned.

"Cam?" she could hear Zach laugh through the door.

"It's not funny!" she grabbed the handle and yanked the door open, "I could have hurt myself!"

"That's true," said Zach, and he really stopped laughing, "So are you hurt?"

"No."

"Then I can laugh!" Zach laughed loud again.

She glared at him, then started laughing too.

"Hey," she told him when he made to walk inside, "You wanna get out of the house tonight?"

He looked confused, "We haven't finished the puzzle."

She shrugged, "I did. Long distance call. It was just lying there while I was talking to my friend. Took about two hours"

"Okay." he nodded, "Where do you want to go?"

"Have you been to the arcade? The one that just opened?" she asked, her eyes open in eagerness.

He looked pleasantly stunned, "You're interested in video games?"

"Sometimes," she reached for her sweater behind the door, "Let's go."

.oO00Oo.

"Man. There are way too many grown people here,"Cam said as they walked into the arcade, holding hands so they wouldn't lose each other in the crowd near the door waiting to purchase tokens.

"It's nine o'clock. Most small children are already in bed," Zach told her.

"Yeah, but I was expecting more teenagers. Look at that guy! He looks old enough to be my dad!"

"Most likely he is in his sixties. Maybe he owns the arcade?"

Cam shrugged, squinting at the man, who was staring off into space, immersed in his own thoughts, "He could be a ped."

"Ped? What is a ped?"

"Pedophile. You know, he could be stalking the place for teenage girls."

"A pedophile is someone who engages in pedophillia, a paraphilic behaviour that involves having sex with pre-pubescent children."

Cam rolled her eyes and looked behind her at him, "Gee, thank you, Zach. I really didn't know that."

"You do. He told her, his brows coming together. She heaved a fake sigh and turned to face him, pointing in his cute face, "We're getting you a sarcasm teacher."

"How many tokens?" the girl at the counter asked them. They hadn't realised they had reached the counter.

Buying their tokens, Zach and Cam got into the arcade. Almost suddenly, Cam started pointing at the games she anted to play. They went over to the Pac Man first since it was free.

"I love this game. One thing my sister can't do is beat me at video games."

"They're coming at you," Zach warned when she stopped watching the game to talk to him. He grabbed the controls, or rather put his hand over hers to manipulate them, steering the Pac Man away from death. She turned her head to look at him concentrating on the game. She doubted he realised that he had enveloped her in his arms as he played the game. He was just so cute.

"Can I play the game now please?" she asked, grinning.

He looked down at her, "Um, yes." He took his hand off hers and allowed her to play, and she won more than once.

'I am the Pac Man master," Cam placed her palms together and bowed to the game, which made Zach laugh.

"Would you like to fight?" she asked him.

He looked at her, puzzled, "Sorry?"

"The WWF game. We could wrestle against each other." she expounded.

"Or rather, we can control the virtual wrestlers," Zach nodded, understanding, "of course."

They walked over to the game. He picked Triple H and she picked John Cena. He won and she demanded a rematch, which she won. She celebrated by jumping up and down singing, "I won! I won!" Zach had a laughing fit.

They played again and again, Zach winning 57 percent of the time, as he pointed out.

"You're just as competitive as I am, Cam," he told her.

"No way. You are more competitive than I am."

"I don't think so."

"I do."

"We are both competitive."

"Yeah" Cam conceded, shrugging, "But you're a freak when it comes to competition. You'd do anything to win," she tapped him on the chin with her finger.

"I don't cheat. You do."

She scrunched up her nose, which made him smile, "The bike race game is free."

They got onto the adjacent bikes and entered their tokens to get it started. They started off neck and neck down the track, then as they rounded the corner, Cam ended up a little ahead of Zach. He sped up to get past her, but she would not have it, speeding up as well. When they got to the next corner, Zach was a good distance in front of Cam and she fought hard to get in front of him. Zach started laughing, thinking he had her beat. But she edged him out and won the race by a few meters.

"Yes!" she shouted, "Eat my dust, Dr. Addy!"

"The track is too short." Zach complained as he got off the bike.

"I want a bear," she told him, digging in her pocket for a token as they passed the prize machine which was full of colourful teddy bears.

"What colour would you like?" he asked her.

"Blue. Why?"

Zach popped in a token in the machine and in two minutes handed her a blue bear. She was a little impressed, taking the bear and cuddling it.

"My hand-eye coordination makes me consistent when it comes to maneuvering the claw," he said to her.

"And here I was thinking you were being chivalrous, she teased.

After the arcade, they found a restaurant that was opened late nearby.

"Wow. I'm gonna get so fat hanging out with you," Cam complained good-naturedly as they sat down at their table in the Chinese restaurant, "Snacks, pizza, Chinese food...I don't usually eat this badly."

"Chinese food is low in fat and high in sodium," Zach said, laughing when she glared at him once again, "And from your expression I assume you already knew that."

"Yes. Anybody ever told you you're really too cute?"

Zach raised his eyebrows in silent surprise.

"You are," Cam grinned, shifting closer to him on the bench they were on and kissed him lightly on the lips, "And don't worry. I know you're just being yourself."

She wondered to herself how the restaurant got so hot so suddenly. Then she realised she was blushing so badly, she had raised her internal temperature. Zach was blushing too, she could tell.

"May I take your order?"

They looked up at their waiter who looked way too bright and awake for late night.

They ordered and waited for their meal, looking down at the table and up at the Chinese calenders on the red-painted walls.

"Hey," she looked at him. He turned from the large painting on the opposite wall at her, "I'm sorry. I'm making you uncomfortable aren't I?"

"Not excessively," he said, shaking his head.

"You know, I'm glad we started playing Scrabble. It was really fun playing with you."

"You too," he told her.

"Thanks," Cam said sheepishly.

His phone rang and Cam winced at the sound. She could just guess who was calling him.

"Hello? Dr. Brennan?"

Okay, so she was wrong.

"Um, I'm having dinner, Dr. Brennan... At a Chinese restaurant... The Golden Egg Restaurant... Yes I'm aware that it's after ten..."

This time Cam's phone rang. She flipped it open and saw Angela's name on the screen. She got up and walked away before she answered, "Hello?"

"Where are you?"

These people were a curious lot, weren't they? "I'm out."

"Where out? I got some thing to show you."

"Now? It's after ten."

"Yeah, I know."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Just tell me where you are and I'll come show you."

"Is it about the case?"

From the way Angela paused, Cam could tell whatever it was didn't even exist, "Um, yeah."

"Where are you? The Jeffersonian? I'll come there and you can show me," Cam played along.

Angela sighed, "Don't bother."

Cam continued to play, "You sure? Gee, it sounded so important."

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's nothing."

"Uh-huh," Cam muttered accusingly and hung up.

"Dr. Brennan seemed very interested in where I was," Zach told her as she sat back down beside him. Their orders came and they dug in.

"So did Angela. They're really getting inquisitive about us, huh?"

Zach nodded as he chewed his orange chicken.

"Unfortunately for them, the answer's really boring. All we've been doing is playing Scrabble, watching tv, eating junk and playing video games."

"That isn't all we've been doing."

Cam's heart skipped a beat as she looked up at Zach from her chicken chop suey. Was he really going to admit that what they were doing was more than they were both willing to admit, that it had gone way past what it had started out being?

"What?" she breathed, her eyes wider than usual.

"We also assembled a jigsaw puzzle," Zach said, his concentration centered on the food he was eating. So he missed the relief that came over her features. Cam sighed gratefully.

"Oh yeah. You're right."

.oO00Oo.

Cam went straight into Angela's office the next morning.

"You wanted to show me something?" she teased. Angela gave her an accusing look.

"Where were you?"

"I told you I went out."

"Doing what?"

"My business, Angela! Why are you so interested in what I do all of a sudden?

"Because you keep lying. I want to know why you're lying," Angela stood up and glared at Cam, "Just tell me. I have to know!"

Cam shook her head, "I'm not doing anything."

"You can't tell me that," Angela snapped.

Cam gave her a funny little smirk, and turned towards her office, "I just did."

"Okay, then just tell me who you're going with. Because you can't lie to me and tell me that you are not going somewhere with someone," Angela got up and walked beside Cam.

"Why would you think that?" she asked, sounding so innocent that she was surprised at herself.

"Because you just look so happy and peaceful. I know that look. That's a guy look,"

"There is no guy."

"So next time can I come with you?"

Cam gave her a look, "No."

"See! There is a guy! I know the look. It's plain as the nose on your face that you've got something going on!"

"You're overemphasizing things."

"Well, you're oversimplifying them," Angela shot back, "This could not be just having fun by yourself every night. There's gotta be some guy or somebody that you go out with."

"There. Is. _Nobody_," it was getting so easy to lie now.

"So why can't I come?"

"Because there is nothing plural about 'alone time'. I wanna go by myself," Cam turned into her office and Angela followed.

"I'll find out who it is, Cam. I have skills. Ask Bren," Angela said it like it was a threat.

"Well, you will be wasting your time because there is nobody," Cam flung her bag down and turned around to face Angela, "Nobody. I wish there was but there isn't."

"You can't tell me that," Angela said defiantly.

"I just did," Cam replied.

"Then who sent you those?" Angela pointed.

Cam turned around and looked at where Angela pointed and gasped softly. There on her desk was a bouquet of yellow roses. Her mouth opened in shock.

"From the way your mouth is hanging open, I can come to only one conclusion. You know who they're from. If you didn't, you'd look confused. So no matter what you say, I know that there is somebody. And I'm gonna find out who."

With that, Angela walked out of the office.

Cam walked up to her desk and bent over to smell the bouquet. Then she smiled. There was no note.

She didn't need one. She knew exactly who they were from.

.o0OO0o.

Zach stood over the remains of the victim, who Angela had helped to identify as Miriam Hyde, a secretary at the Washington DC Psych Institute. The intern with him was looking at the woman's pelvic bone like it perplexed him.

"Are you finding the bones problematic?" Zach asked kindly.

"Naw, man. But she musta had some ass, you know what I mean?" the intern winked at Zach and grinned. Zach was the one perplexed now.

"No. I do not know what you mean," he shook his head.

"Greg?"

They turned to see Cam walking into the room. Zach's pulse kicked into high gear. She was going to lecture him, then penalize him and then probably fire him for putting the flowers in her office.

"Yes, Dr. Saroyan?" the intern answered.

"Dr. Seymour needs you to help sift through the pirana guts for the Henderson trial."

"Cool," said Greg, "See you later, Dr. Addy."

When Greg was out the door, Zach saw Cam powering towards him. He saw her motive. She had gotten rid of the sole witness. She was going to kill him.

"I'm sorry, Cam, I shouldn't have..."

He didn't get any further as she fell against him, wrapping her arms round his neck and kissing him hungrily. He felt both of their hearts beating at an elevated pace, the temperature of the room rise, her hand in his hair and her soft lips. He made a low guttural sound when she pulled away, not wanting it to end.

"Thank you," she played with the lapel of his lab coat.

"I thought you would be angry," he confessed.

Her head leaned to one side, "You did? But it was so sweet."

He leaned in to kiss her again, but she pushed him back, giggling.

"Slow down there tiger. Greg will be back soon. Dr. Seymour didn't really need him, I lied. See you later?"

He nodded, watched her walk away, and wondered if he could send her another bouquet tomorrow.

* * *

Did you think that was good? Dont you wanna tell me how much?

That nice long button you see under this message? Designed specifically for times like this.


	4. Chapter 4

I had this on my computer for a while, thinking I would add more to it, but I decided what the hey, I haven't posted a thing in so long, I should just push my insecurities aside and post the damn thing. So I hope you people who have been waiting for another chappie enjoy this.

**Disclaimer:** Dude, I ain't Hart Hansen!

Zach was walking in the Jeffersonian parking lot behind Jack. He was planning on going home with him, until a hand reached out and grabbed his, pulling him behind a red pick up truck.

He had been confused, but when he saw Dr. Saroyan smiling up at him, he smiled back.

"Wanna go get dinner?" she asked him. He nodded.

She pulled him by the hand and they jumped into her car and sped off before Jack even turned around and realized Zach was missing.

.oO00Oo.

"Where do you wanna eat?" Cam asked. She looked at Zach as she drove, and bit her lip at how cute he looked with the wind ruffling his hair, the sun on his face and his shoulders slumped. He looked about ready to sleep. She felt the same way; it had been a long day.

"I don't know," he mumbled, "Maybe we can go there," he pointed to a drive through.

"Excellent choice, Dr. Addy!"

"Even though the food is very high in fat, not very nutritious and..."

"Okay, stop or I'll throw you out of this car," said Cam with not much teeth in her threat. She swung into the drive through.

When they reached Cam's house, fighting already for the fries, they got out and trudged into the living room, flopped on the couch and stared into space.

"Soooo tired," Cam shifted and put her head on Zach's shoulder, "I wish I could hire somebody to do everything for me."

"Like a maid?" Zach asked.

"Naw. I'm too lazy to take off my shoes," she smiled, "and take these stupid pins out of my hair."

Her eyes were closed, so when she felt the slight pressure of Zach's hands in her hair, she started, "Hey!"

"I can help you," Zach told her, feeling for a pin and pulling it out. Her bun became looser as the pins came out.

"Wow. That feels great. Now the shoes," she smiled at him. He laid back in the couch and nudged her shoes off with the heel of his. She giggled.

"Why aren't you married?" she asked him, as he dug into the fast food bag and handed her her chicken sandwich.

"I really haven't been actively seeking a life partner. I find it's easier to date," Zach's answer came mumbled because his head was down in the paper bag.

Cam didn't understand why her heart did a somersault in her chest (or more correctly, why hormones rushed through her bloodstream) when he said that. Cam knew Zach dated. It never worked out, but at least he was showing his human side by trying. She dated too, didn't she? Occasionally, and she usually had a good time with her dates. So the constricting feeling in her chest was unfounded; she didn't know why it as there or what it meant, but she willed it away.

"You know, I really haven't been on a date in a while," she started, hating herself for doing this, "When's the last time you went out?"

He took a second to think, "January 29."

"Oh?" was the girl that special that he remembered the date? "Where did you take her?"

"The Baker's Tea House on the mall," Zach smiled, "Then to the Build-a-Bear Workshop."

Now Cam was confused, "Those are both kids' places." For some reason, the image of Zach and a cute girl at the little play store drinking tea popped into her had. For some reason the girl was stacked, bright-eyed and had curly platinum blonde hair.

"Nerissa is only six."

"Huh?"

"My little cousin Nerissa. She insisted that we carry her to the Tea House. Then she made a bear that she named 'Juniper'. But I heard she lost him last..."

He didn't get to finish as Cam put down her sandwich and lunged at him, placing her lips on his. As she kissed him, she realized that she didn't know why she was doing it. Putting that away, she just enjoyed the sensations of Zach responding to her, with his lips and his hands; his fingertips were trailing over her sides where he held her.

She pulled back and looked at him, and she wouldn't ever know how much her eyes seemed to sparkle, because Zach wouldn't ever tell her, "You're so stupid! I meant like a _date_ date, you know, woman and man, candle light and violins..."

"Oh," all that filled Zach's mind was the Chinese restaurant days before when she leaned in and told him he was cute, "I can't remember."

"You can't?" her arms were around his neck now and her torso was partially pressed to his, "I don't believe you. You're just hiding it from me because you think I'm going to tease you with it."

"I really don't remember," he told her. The truth was he didn't want to remember.

"Alright," she settled back into the couch, still pressed right against him, and groped in the seat for the television remote, "Let's watch some tv."

.oO00Oo.

Hours later, they were still in the couch. Both of them had their heads tilted to one side. Discovery Channel had decided that animal mating rituals was to be their prime time programming for the night, and they were currently watching tree monkeys procreate.

"Well, that's just wrong," Cam mumbled.

"Reproduction is a natural instinct for animals..."

"Don't you dare lecture me," she pointed at him, "I know that, but why do they think we should watch this instead of the news?"

"It is educational," Zach commented.

"Uh, nope," Cam grabbed the remote, flipped through the channels, "Scary movie?"

"The genre, or the movie franchise?" he asked.

"Genre." she told him.

"I avoid them, because they tend to give me insomnia."

She held back a nasty laugh, "Really?"

"I haven't watched one since the ninth grade."

"Thou kiddest."

"I doth not kid...I'm not kidding."

"Well," she turned up the volume on the television a little, "You're gonna watch one today. Oh come on," she smiled at the apprehension on his face, "If you get scared, you can hold on to me."

She had meant it as a joke, but she saw his eyebrow inch upwards.

"Settle back," she instructed, resting her head on his shoulder as he sat back in the couch, "And just enjoy the blood slime and gore."

The movie started, and at first it was quite normal. it even had a few comedic lines that had them both laughing. However after a while, the movie turned dark and even Cam started to get scared. Zach sat beside her, wide eyed as she cringed into his shirt.

"No, Reina, don't go in there!" she shouted when the protagonist was about to enter the house where the Slasher was waiting.

"The blood spatter on the wall is wrong," said Zach watching the movie avidly, "That splatter pattern is not consistent with a pickaxe or sword, both of which the Slasher used to kill June. It is more consistent with someone splashing paint on a wall from a can." Zach said above Reina's screams.

"Yep, you're weird," Cam deadpanned, her eyes averted from Reina running for her life from the Slasher. He turned in the couch to face her.

"But it's true. Photo-analysis is very important in forensic anthropology, and I have to study..."

"I know," Cam sighed, "They killed her yet?"

"No. She's still running. Cam, don't be scared. It is all fictitious."

She looked up at him, "I know."

"Then why are you afraid?" he asked.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Well, I recall just an hour ago you were scared."

"But I got over it, by telling myself that the projected images are enhanced and altered in order to make them seem scary. I may probably have insomnia, but I will know that the images that are keeping me awake have been constructed by my imagination."

Cam's mouth quirked up, "Is that your way of telling me everything gonna be alright?"

Zach brows came together, "They will."

She reached up and kissed him. And it lingered, both of them unwilling to break the tiny connection. But finally they did.

"Zach?"

"Yes?"

"What are we doing?" she whispered.

"We're watching a movie. It's the sequel to Slasher II. The name is Slasher III: The Final Bloodletting."

Leave it to Zach to take her literally, "You're right," she turned to the screen, "Let the bloodletting ensue."

.oO00Oo.

Cam woke up what felt like a good while later. The television was still on, but the movie was long over. She didn't remember her it had ended.

She stretched a little and felt her wrist bump something. Looking, she saw that Zach was fast asleep beside her. Her mouth quirked a little as she watched him sleep. He was so cute.

He shivered a little, shifted and pulled her closer. Cam guessed he was probably a bit cold.

Waiting till he had settled back down, she got up and went towards her linen closet, pulling down a blanket. She went back to the living room and put it over him, then went back to her room to get ready for bed.

A little later, when she was in her green and yellow shorts and finished brushing her teeth, she headed to her room. But as soon as she fell back, she got up. Walking towards her living room, she sat on the couch. After a minute of debating with herself, she laid back and settled in beside Zach, throwing the blanket over herself. His hands circled around her waist and he pulled her to him again.

.oO00Oo.

It was Saturday morning, and Zach walked into the kitchen at Jack's kitchen. There was no reason for Jack to know that he had only come home an hour before, so Zach just sat beside him and grabbed the plate laden with french toast.

"Dude, you move fast."

"What do you mean?" Zach asked Hodgins.

"Yesterday. One minute you were right behind me, and by the time I look again, you've disappeared. Where did you go?"

"With Doctor...Munchausen," Zach lied.

Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Who?"

"He's an engineer," Zach said, knowing that would end the questions. Jack didn't know the people who helped him with his engineering thesis.

"Oh," Jack took more toast, "You could have shouted out you were leaving man. It made me think someone had abducted you."

_She did, but I wanted her to, _"He was very insistent. I had no time to say anything."

"Whatever. You left your phone," Jack handed over the device, "I couldn't call you."

"I didn't miss it," said Zach.

"So," Jack slapped him on the back, "I was thinking..."

"Sorry," Zach cut him off, "I'm going somewhere today."

"Where?" Jack asked, sounding like he was waiting for a truly lame excuse.

"Betty's dentist is coming and she's afraid of him. I have to go because she told me that she could have a panic attack."

"Oh. That sounds important," Jack admitted.

"Well," Zach took up some toast and took it with him as he got up, "Bye."

"This early?" said Zach.

"She is going to need a pep talk." Zach threw over her shoulder.

As Zach went down the steps he acknowledged that watching the special on agoraphobia that had come on Discovery Health had come in quite handy.

.oO00Oo.

Was it weird that Zach had just left four hours ago, and was already on his way back? Cam refused to see it that way.

Was it weird that he slept on her couch all night, and she had slept on the couch with him? She dismissed that entirely.

When she woke up, she noted the distinct lack of weirdness that she felt. He didn't feel it either, apparently, because he gave her a big smile when she came into the living room as he woke up and handed a cup of coffee. They sat on the couch they had slept on, watched cartoons, when Zach suddenly said that he had to go home; Jack would definitely know something was up if he didn't come into the mansion's kitchen for Saturday morning breakfast, which they always ate together. He let her ruffle his hair, kiss him on the lips and hit him up for IHOP waffles before he left.

Now she had dressed in shorts and brushed the knots that had formed in her hair caused by sleeping on it. She caught her hair in pigtails, but planned to pull them out before Zach came back. She was just a little too old for pigtails.

But between tidying up and watching a Clean House marathon on Style, she forgot about the state of her hair till after she had yanked the door open.

"Hey Zach," Cam said as she opened the door. She ran a hand over her hair, kind of self conscious that he caught her with her hair in such a puerile hairstyle, "Did you bring the waffles?"

"I did," he held up the bag so she could see. She took it from him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks. I don't know, all of a sudden this morning I felt for waffles. But, no waffle iron, no waffles."

"I like your hair," Zach said as he walked in, curling one of Cam's pigtails around his finger, and smiling when she rolled her eyes, "I'm serious."

Her cheeks got hot as he smiled at her.

"Come on. Let's go eat and play... what do you wanna play?"

He took a moment to think, "Monopoly."

"Hah! Zach Addy, you have officially chosen the wrong game to play against me! I annihilate at Monopoly!"

"Okay," Zach grinned, following her towards the kitchen, "That means the match will be evenly contested, unlike Scrabble, which I'm clearly better at."

Cam looked over her shoulder at him, "Oooh, catty."

"One day we'll play a game where the outcome is completely dependent on probability."

"I'd win. You'll cave under the pressure of not being able to predict the outcome." she teased.

Zach frowned, "I am able to enjoy a game in which I cannot predict the outcome."

"I'll have to see that for myself!" Cam laughed.

Zach had his game face on, "We can play Snakes and Ladders."

"I don't have it, but I'm buying it next week." she poked him in the chest, "Just so I can see that cute cocky smile wiped off your face."

He stepped closer and brushed his lips lightly over hers. Her heartbeat tripled as he kissed her; her eyes fluttered closed.

When he stepped back and broke the contact, she thought it was way too soon.

"You always kiss me," he told her, "I thought I could kiss you instead."

"Oh," she smiled and nodded, realizing this added a new dimension to their relationship.

"Come on," she took his hand, "the waffles are getting cold."

.oO00Oo.

Zach wasn't sure he knew what exactly was happening. He knew that he liked Cam's company. He knew that he liked hanging out at her house, playing Scrabble and eating junk food. He realized she was nice to talk to. But it wasn't what perplexed him. He couldn't explain what the felling was that he had attached to being with her was. It felt great, and a bit weird at the same time. But he pushed the feelings aside, deciding to focus on the fun they were having instead.

"Zach!"

"What?" he looked at Hodgins, who had called his name.

"Man, where did you go?"

"I didn't move from my seat," Zach told him.

"You were thinking about that girlfriend of yours, huh?" Hodgins smiled, "This girl had better be exceptional, Zach, because, I can't see why you'd want to go out with somebody who doesn't want to meet your friends."

"She has a phobia," Zach lied.

"Yeah, I know. She sounds very high-maintenance. What do you see in her anyway?"

"I just like her," Zach caught Cam walking up to them, smiling, "I like her a lot."

"Hey," Cam smiled down at them, "Have you guys been making any progress?"

"Guess," Hodgins shrugged, "The differences between the beetles found by the first body and the ones in the field where we found the second body are minuscule. We may have found this guy's dumping ground.

"Great," she looked over at Zach as she leaned on the desk, "You okay?"

He nodded, eyes trailing down her dress.

"Did you watch the special on Animal Planet last night about pandas?" Cam asked.

Knowing she knew full well that he had watched it, since he watched it at her house, he nodded anyway, "Yes I did."

"I love pandas," Cam declared. Zach's mind was wandering, to the way her ponytail had spilled over his thigh when she lay on her couch and put her head in his lap.

"I saw you as more of a tiger person," Hodgins teased, "You know, big pouncing cat who can rip your face off."

"I'm going to ignore that, because if I don't, I'll want to hurt you," Cam ruffled hiis hair, and he pretended to be annoyed. Zach's eyes narrowed, "I'm going back to my office. Got stuff to type." she got up and walked off.

"She's in a good mood," Jack commented, "What do you think's gotten into her?"

Zach shrugged, though he was sure he had an idea.

.oO00Oo.

Cam walked into the small rom with the examination room and saw Zach studying the bones of the secretary closely. Usually it would occur to her to ask if he had any new theories on the circumstances of her death, if he could ascertain any anomalies, or if he had found any evidence that had been previously overlooked.

She thought about all those things, but not before observing the way his hair looked, all soft and begging to be ruffled and the cute little concentration face he had on first.

She also thought about just walking to him and pressing her lips to his.

"Hi," he smiled distractedly when he noticed her standing there.

"Hi," she replied. She loved that smile. It unconsciously made her smile more, "What are you doing?"

"Reexamining the injuries. Dr. Brennan made a valid point when she said the injuries from the lie detector test seem to be delayed...you're staring at me."

"Sorry," she shook her head a little, "Didn't mean to." she walked over to the illuminated examination table, standing by his side and peering at the bones like she knew what the hell they were saying to him, "Look at that fracture."

"Caused by the blow to her back with the typewrite."

"Yeah. But it looks a little jagged in it's break, like a flatter part of the typewriter was used...now you're staring at me."

The line in his forehead presented itself, "You don't usually touch Hodgins' hair."

She looked at him, puzzled, "I'm sorry? What are you talking about?"

"You don't usually ruffle Hodgins' hair the way you do mine. Not until today."

She remembered, "Oh. Is that what you...? I'm sure I've done that before. What does it matter anyway?"

"It doesn't matter," Zach shrugged, "I was simply making an observation. You modified your behaviour unexpectedly, and I decided to point it out to you."

"You sound weird," Cam narrowed her eyes at him, one hand going to her hip, then her eyes lit up, "Oh my. Zach, are you jealous?"

"His eyes went wide like a deer in highlights, "No! I have no reason to..."

"You're jealous of Hodgins because I touched his hair, and you thought that was only between me and you. Aw, Zach, that's low."

"I'm not jealous of Hodgins, Cam!" he said it with aggression, so Cam knew he was lying.

"You are, don't deny it," she crossed her arms, "What do you want me to do, never touch Hodgins again?"

"It would be inconsiderate of me to ask you to do that," Zack's hands were in his pockets, his stance tense.

"But you'd like to."

"I wouldn't!"

"Tell the truth. Why did you bring it up?"

"I made an observation. You modified your behaviour. First with me, then you extended it to Hodgins and I just wondered what the gesture meant, because I may have misinterpreted it... I thought it meant something..."

Her tummy did a flip; was he just the cutest or what? "Admit it, Zach. You were, however briefly, jealous of Hodgins."

His eyes darkened a little, "Maybe."

"Aw come on, you were."

"You will not get me to admit that to you," Zach turned back to the bones on the table.

"Can I just tell you that it meant nothing?" Cam stepped closer, "I hardly even touched him. I just went like this," Cam ran her fingers a little through Zach's hair, catching his attention. She turned his face to hers, "You don't have to worry about my behaviour modification. I won't touch Hodgins never ever again."

His brow went up, "Really?"

She smiled and said, "I knew you were jealous," just before they kissed.

She had put her arms around his neck, and when they pulled their lips apart, she pulled him into a hug, "Scrabble, tonight?"

She felt him nod, "Of course."


	5. Chapter 5 part 1

1Later, when they were in the middle of a game, she looked up at him and smiled, "Do you like carnivals?"

His brows drew together like it was a trick question, "I don't know."

She looked at him like he had admitted to being an underwear model, "What do you mean?"

"I don't have very much experience with carnivals, " He admitted, "The few times I went to one were hardly memorable.

"Oh," she smiled, "Wanna go to one now?"

The look on his face was so cute, "There's one going on now?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "There's one going on at the high school nearby. They're raising money for a basketball court."

He nodded, "After the game?"

"Sure," she touched the hair on the base of his neck, "All those high school girls are gonna think you're some cute senior from another school, scoping out the school for cute girls."

"Why would they think that?" he asked, "I'm going to be with you the entire time."

Cam was really starting to enjoy the butterflies dancing in her tummy. She bit her lip, "I guess."

.oO00Oo.

The carnival was packed with patrons, especially teenagers who were likely students of the high school. Cam dragged Zach by the hand through the crowd, shouting, "Lets go on the Roller Coaster first!" when there were already halfway there.

"Okay," Zach looked up at the Roller Coaster and the and then at the line to get onto it. "But we won't be able to get on it for a while. We'll have a much shorter wait for the Scrambler."

She stopped tugging and he stood beside her, "Well okay. But I still wanna go on the Roller Coaster."

They went on the Scrambler, which was fun enough, but as soon as it stopped Cam jumped out, dragging an extremely dizzy Zach with her, and headed for the Roller Coaster again.

The line had dwindled a bit and they got on faster than they would before. Cam grinned wide as they were seated in one of the cars.

"You like roller coasters," Zach said as if filing away the information.

She smiled, "It's kinda short for my liking, but it will do."

The ride started, and the car they were in with eight other people started climbing up the track. Cam clutched Zach's hand as it reached the peak and fell over the other side. The passengers screamed as the car followed the twists of the track. It went up an down, around and around and even in a downward spiral before it came to a rest right where it started.

"Wow! That was fun now wasn't it?" Cam exclaimed as they climbed out.

"What would you like to do next?" Zach asked as they walked away from the roller coaster.

"Um, why don't we try our luck?" she suggested, pointing out the stalls of games.

"Well, the outcome of most of these contests are based on skill and probability, not luck..."

"Let's shoot teddy bears," she smiled, grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a stall where a teenage girl stood, looking bored.

"It's simple; you shoot a bear, he's yours," she popped her gum and handed Cam a bow and arrow.

"Okay," Cam loaded the bow and aimed it as best she could at a cute brown bear.

"Wait. Your trajectory is inaccurate," Zach said, coming up close behind her and taking the bow and arrow for a moment. Cam couldn't help smiling. Her cheeks were hot. Zach fixed the trajectory of the bow and arrow and handed it back to her.

"Now shoot," he told her.

She fired the arrow right into the bear's chest.

She gasped, "Oooh! I shot it!"

"Wow! That was great!" the teenager shouted.

"All it took was the correct trajectory."

"What do you say to one more? You aim I shoot?" Cam suggested, turning a little to look at him. He nodded in response.

The teenager gladly handed them another arrow. Zach aimed, Cam fired, and they pierced a blue cat through the heart with accuracy.

"This is the most fun I've had all day!" said the girl in the stall, jumping up and down, "Here! Have another one! On me!"

They took the arrow, Zach aimed, Cam fired, and they shot down a monkey. The girl giggled. When she took the walrus and handed it to Cam, she gave it back.

"To you," Cam smiled.

The girl gasped, "Thanks!"

They walked off, Cam laughing and Zach almost smiling.

Suddenly, it began raining.

"Oh!" Cam yelled in shock. Zach looked around for a shelter.

"There's an unoccupied bounce-about over there! Lets go!" Zach grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the tented bounce about. She jumped inside and bounced a little. Zach climbed in after her.

"Wow, I can't tell the last time I've been inside one of these," said Cam, getting to her feet and jumping up, bouncing back up in the air when her feet touched the bounce about floor.

Zach did a back flip in the air.

"Impressive," she commended."

"My cousin taught me to do that," he smiled. Then he got quiet and observant.

"What?" she asked with a smile, still bouncing, her ponytail swinging behind her.

"You look really beautiful," he told her.

Her tummy erupted in butterflies. He was the cutest thing ever, "Thank you."

"I would have to presume it's the combination of the way the light from outside is making your hair shine. Or your smile."

She grinned, jumping forward to get closer to him, "You're so sweet."

She put her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to keep bouncing while standing so near to him. But it didn't work and they both toppled, Cam falling on top of Zach.

They bounced a little, her giggling, him stuttering.

"I'm..."

He didn't get a chance to finish, as Cam's mouth came down on his.

She kissed him, sucking his lip into her mouth, moaned a little when he responded. She parted her legs and wrapped them around him, and he rolled, pinning her under him. Zach's hand found the hem of her shirt. Cam's back arched as his hand found her breast.

"Zach," she breathed, pulled his mouth back to hers.

Outside, the rain stopped, the noises of the carnival went on around them.

.oO00Oo.

Zach woke up when the light outside was thin and weak. He realised he was not in his own room and he was lying in an unfamiliar bed with a weird but comfortable weight on top of him. Looking down, he saw arms wrapped tightly around his chest and a leg thrown over his. Everything from the previous night came back to him, even as his eyes roamed over the exposed shoulder peeking out through the stretched out collar of Cam's shirt, her hair loose and curling all over his t-shirt and the tiny red shorts which were hardly even there.

"Cam?"

"Hmm?" she answered, snuggling into his chest.

"I really should have gone home hours ago," he told her, "I don't have any clothes to wear to work today, and Dr. Brennan and the others will be quite suspicious if I don't come into work at the time I usually do. Also, Jack will want to know why I..."

"Baby, it's like five o'clock. We have plenty of time to worry about that. For now, just go back to sleep," Cam mumbled, pulling up the comforter over them, "It'll all sort itself out."

"But..."

"Look," really opening her eyes now, Cam looked up at him, "I'm tired. You're tired. We spent all night playing Scrabble, riding carnival rides, shooting stuffed animals and eating junk. Now, if it means that much to you, I will wake up as soon as my alarm goes off and carry you home, okay? But right now, let's just get to sleep."

"Okay," Zach nodded, putting his arms around her, "Cam?"

"Yes?"

"You called me baby."

She didn't make another sound, but Zach could tell she hadn't gone to sleep immediately.

.oO00Oo.

Angela was sitting on the platform, listening to Brennan as she did her autopsy on a colonial soldier. It was boring, but she wanted to run over her theories about Cam.

"You know, she really hasn't had a boyfriend in a while," Angela said.

"Uh huh," said Brennan, "The fibula seems to have been broken and healed in several places, indicating a very serious accident."

"Yeah, sure," Angela looked at her sketchbook and took up her pencil, scribbling with gusto, "And when you have a boyfriend that you aren't really proud of, or who you know your friends think is weird, you tend to hide your relationship, right? I mean, it's human nature."

"Right," Brennan mumbled, "Have you seen Zach this morning?"

"No," Angela frowned, continuing to sketch, "He's late. He's late? Wait, that never happens."

"It is quite anomalous. Maybe he's with his mysterious girlfriend. At times the situation does occur that late night coitus does spill over into the morning, resulting in a late start to the morning."

"You do realise this is Zach Addy you're talking about, right?"

"I'm sure stranger things have happened," Brennan said nonchalantly.

Angela continued sketching. Then for the first time she really looked down at what her fingers had put to paper.

It was a picture. Of Cam and Zach. And they looked very cozy. Cam had her head on Zach's shoulder, and he had an arm around her waist.

Angela frowned at the picture. It was as if her subconscious had put two independent thoughts together. Cam being secretive, and Zach being secretive.

Unless...

Angela physically shook her head. No. There was no way what she was thinking was true. It was just her own mind concocting stories. But then a flurry of movement caught her eye and she looked over the top of her sketchpad to see Cam and Zach walking through the glass doors of the lab. Angela saw Cam give Zach a smile that she had never seen her give anyone. and Zach returned it. Between them, they were carrying fast food bags from the same place, and Zach looked very underdressed for work, something that didn't seem to bother Cam. Angela rose an eyebrow when Cam leaned on the door to open it, not taking her eyes off Zach. As they came through the doors, she saw them give each other significant looks and head in separate directions, each glancing back at least twice.

Angela frowned again. What the hell was that? She looked back down at the picture she drew. She didn't think this was just a wacky thought her mind had anymore.

She decided to get concrete evidence.

.oO00Oo.

Cam had one hand propping up her chin, staring at her computer screen blankly. She had read the same line thrice in the past few minutes, and she still had no idea why the curators had sent her the memorandum. The line she was reading was the title.

Okay. She squeezed her eyes shut and opening them, grabbing the coffee she and Zach had detoured to get that morning and read the title once more.

Then she remembered the bounce-about again.

Her eyes slipped out of focus.

Zach had never kissed her like that before. He kissed her like he wanted her. And like he had something else to get out of their relationship than a few games of Scrabble.

That last thought had her jerking into an alert position on her chair. Was that a good or a bad thing?

Her office door burst open, and Angela walked in, "You were late today."

"Did I miss something important?" Cam asked.

"Nope. Just that Bren and Booth are this close to solving the case," Angela grinned, "Jack's out getting the incriminating evidence out of a duck pond right now."

Cam pulled a face, "Good to know."

Then Zach walked in, "Dr. Saroyan?"

It was amazing. And if Angela hadn't been there to witness it, she might not have believed, but she knew she saw the two of them light up when they looked at each other. She looked from one to the other, observing the big smiles. Yup, she thought, definite hanky-panky.

"Angela wanted me to give you these files," Zach smiled down at Cam. She smiled back up at him. Then she looked sideways at Angela and bit her lip.

"Thank you, um, Zach," looking down at the files and flipping through them needlessly, she tried to make herself look busy. Zach's hand were in his jacket pockets, his head down.

"Well," Angela smiled, "I had better get back to work. Lots of art related stuff for all you science-heads," with a chuckle, she turned to the door.

"Wait."

Angela froze, "What?"

"If you were already coming in here," Cam asked, "Why did you give Zach the files to carry in here for you?"

"Uhhh...I was doing something that I thought I wouldn't finish in time so I gave it to Zach, but then I finished it so I came here because...I hadn't seen you all morning?" Angela rattled off.

"Oh. Okay," said Cam.

But when she looked back, she saw they were onto her. They had on matching looks of suspicion.

When Angela was gone, Cam turned to Zach, "She suspects something."

"Are you certain?" Zach asked.

"Yes. Angela's like Nancy Drew when it comes to sniffing out clues. And it seems she's found some clue that we're..." she cut herself off.

"Playing Scrabble?" Zach completed.

"Exactly. So...we can't give her too many clues."

"But...we aren't doing anything wrong," he told her.

She stared at him. He was so cute when he was naive.

"I know that. You know that. But does Angela know that? No," she got up and, while watching the door, gave him a kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you later."

"Okay," he held her hand briefly before he walked out.


	6. Chapter 5 part 2

.oO00Oo.

The next day, Cam and Zach went to the toy store. They were only there to pick up a snake and ladder game, but wide array of toys ended up bringing out the child in both of them. Cam spent a whole minute cuddling a humongous tiger, and Zach found a really good Light Sabre and challenged her to a duel. The store had a book section, and while she browsed the teen novel section, he got talked into reading a Dr. Seuess book to a few children. She thought it was the cutest thing in the world and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek when he was done, getting a _"Woooooooo,"_ from the kids.

She laughed and buried her head in his shoulder, "That's embarassing!"

"Your girlfriend's pretty, Zach," said a little girl with pink clips in her pigtails.

They both gasped and blushed.

When they had paid for the board game, the tiger the Light Sabre and a teen novel, Cam and Zach walked out of the store hand in hand. Luckily Cam spotted Angela before the other woman could turn around to spot her. She pulled Zach back and reversed, diving into a coffee shop.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Angela!" Cam whispered hoarsely.

"Angela?" he turned to look, and she grabbed his face and focused it on her again.

"Angela! She's standing by my car!" Cam whispered.

"Well, she isn't in here!" said an old lady who was eavesdropping, "So you don't have to act like Double O Seven."

They ignored her.

"Do you think she saw us?" Zach asked.

"No. But I bet she's wondering which of these stores I'm in," Cam brushed the hair from her eyes, frustrated, "I knew she was suspicious."

"Maybe you two shouldn't be going around behind her back," said the old lady. Cam and Zach looked at her. She was grinning at them over her iced coffee.

"Do you have a suggestion as to how we can avoid Angela?" Zach asked her. Cam glared at him for actually entertaining their eavesdropper's point of view.

"You could try telling her the truth," said the old lady, "It has to be better than sneaking around behind her back. Does she really deserve that?"

"Yes. She really should mind her own business," said Cam, "It's not her business if we wanna play Scrabble."

The old woman didn't look convinced, "You two are hiding the fact that you're playing Scrabble from his girlfriend?"

"Angela isn't my girlfriend," said Zach.

"Wait. I'm confused," said the woman.

Cam threw her hands up, "Why are we explaining anything to you? Come on Zach, you walk the other way to the park, I'll get rid of Angela and then I'll pick you up," she told him, grabbing the shopping bag. She clutched his hand a second longer than she had to.

"Okay," he moved in to kiss her, but remember their audience at the last minute. Cam couldn't help but smile a little as he looked down at his shoes in embarrassment.

"See you in a bit."

"Okay," He turned away.

She stood there watching him for a minute as he walked away.

"Playing Scrabble my heel," said the lady, "You have the biggest crush I've seen since my late husband."

.oO00Oo.

The Scrabble board sat abandoned on the coffee table. There were letter tiles scattered all over the off-white carpet. Cam was in Zach's lap straddling him and their mouths were almost fused together.

His hand crept up underneath her thin blue top. She giggled and reached out to hold it, drawing it away from her body. But then his other hand decided to go on the same path that the other on took.

"Zach!" she looked at him, her smile tinged with confusion, "Since when did you get so handsy?"

"You feel soft," Zach said honestly.

Cam felt her heart hammer in her chest, "Oh?"

"Your skin and your hair. Also your lips," he kissed her and she felt a delicious shiver go through her, "And for mainly hormonal reasons, I suspect, I feel the urge to run my hands all over you."

"Gee," Cam could feel her blush spread all over, "Who ever said you weren't romantic?"

"I'm merely stating fact," Zach told her with a straight face. Cam giggled.

"Well, it looks like our game's done," she looked at the scattered game pieces, "What do you say to going back to the school? They're having another fund raiser tonight. A bake sale."

He pretended to be considering, "Do they have chocolate cake?"

"Of course! What self-respecting bake sale doesn't?"

"Okay. Lets go," he grabbed her hand and they got off the floor and headed for the door.

"Wait! My cheesecake!" Cam ran back to the kitchen and grabbed the cheesecake from the fridge, "You can't get in unless you bring something!"

"That seems like bribery," Zach commented as he locked the door.

.oO00Oo.

Zach stared at the giant jar filled with jellybeans. He wrote down his preliminary findings on the paper the officials of the competition had provided. Then he observed the jar again.

He was sure calculating the amount of jellybeans, and therefore winning the prize money and an assortment of t shirts, was simple enough for him to do. It was better than just sitting down and eating cake, like everyone else was.

"So?" Cam popped out of nowhere, jumping in place with excitement.

"I'll need more time, but I've already estimated the volume of the jar."

She grinned, and he couldn't help grinning back, "Excellent. Now..." she held up a slice of cherry cheesecake, "I'm sure you'll need some brain food."

"I'm unsure as to whether cheesecake can be considered brain food, Cam," he told her, "A better choice would be..."

"Just try my cake, silly!" she took off a piece with the fork and held it up to his mouth, "It came out of a box, but I made it. I didn't have time to break out my grandma's recipes."

He opened his mouth and she slid the fork in.

"It's very tasty," he told her.

"Tell Betty Crocker," she winked, handing him the plate, "Now win me those t-shirts."

"Okay," he nodded.

She had been kidding, but as he watched her walk away, Zach decided to double his efforts.

.oO00Oo.

They were walking to the bus stop the next night after dinner at their restaurant, when they saw the movie theatre was still open and showing special movies.

"A movie, Zach! Come on, let's go see one," Cam pulled him up the theater ticket booth and announced to the girl behind the glass, "We need two tickets to _Virus Mission_, please."

"I don't think we should watch that, Cam," he told her, shaking his head. Cam gave him a smile, and patted his cheek.

"Awww, why not? Too much action?" she teased.

"That movie is in Mandarin with subtitles. You may miss out on something important while reading them."

She kissed his cheek, "It'll be fine. Come on."

"But Cam, I..."

"Let's get popcorn," pulling him towards the concession stands. They got their snacks and went into the movie theater. Zach still looked apprehensive when the credits opened. Cam was a little excited in contrast. She did like kung fu movies very much, and it was the only movie being shown that looked worth seeing. She leaned back in her seat and sipped her Sprite, watching Zach scarf down popcorn out of the corner of her eye.

"Save some of that for me," she whispered to him and was surprised to feel him shiver. A wide grin formed on her face when he looked at her.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked.

"You shivered," she pointed out.

"The theater is cold and your warm breath touched my face," he told her in the cute computer-like way he did , "the mixture of cold then heat made me shiver."

She smiled, snuggling closer to him, "Oh, okay."

Both of them failed to see the person three rows away who was staring at them, her eyes wide and popcorn missing her mouth.

.oO00Oo.

"I can't tell the last time I've been on a bus," Cam commented, looking over at Zach, "Maybe...college?"

"I don't have very pleasant memories of the bus," he told her. She smiled and put her head on his shoulder.

"Believe it or not, me neither. Wasn't the movie great?"

Zach nodded, "Somewhat baseless, and not realistic, but entertaining."

Cam giggled, "_Virus Mission_ is a sci-fi kung-fu movie, Zach. I don't think they had time to make it realistic. Who was your favourite character?"

She watched the easy smile come up on his face, "Ginger."

She hit his shoulder.

"Ow! Why did you hit me?"

"You men, you're all the same! You see tits and ass and you can't bother to look any further! Here I was thinking you'd say Kaolin because she was the brains behind the operation!"

"I disagree," he said, "Kaolin wasn't the brains behind the operation. That would have been John Drew. He was the one who had the actual plan of how to get rid of the virus."

"You know who is my favourite character?" she asked him.

"Who?"

"John Drew," she said smiling, "I like how he wasn't afraid of Ginger, even though she came off as threatening sometimes. You remind me of him."

Zach smiled a little, "You have similar characteristics to Ginger, although the most striking is the shorts," he looked at her, "you have similar shorts."

She smiled, "Yeah. I do," her eyebrow quirked up, "And I also have a similar pair of boots to hers in my closet somewhere."

He looked a bit confused, "Are shoes that reach your thigh practical?"

"Nope," Cam told him, "But such shoes aren't made for practicality."

"What are they made for?" Zach asked inquisitively.

"Hmmm..." Cam pretended to think, lifting her legs and turning a bit in her seat so she could put her legs in Zach's lap, "Well, I used them for Halloween one year, but I'm sure if you wanted to, you could use them for seduction purposes."

She almost laughed when his eyebrow went up a fraction, "Seduction?"

Cam patted his cheek, "Yes Zach. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"It's not. I think that was their purpose in the movie."

"Damn right," Cam put her head on his shoulder, "John Drew fell for it, didn't he? He really liked her."

"It was implied at the end of the movie that they began a relationship."

"I knew they would get together all along," she smiled.

Zach's arm wrapped around her back and held her closer to him. She sighed, comfortable just sitting there with him in the nearly empty bus. She realised how similar they were sitting to how John and Ginger sat together in the movie, as they hid in his lab from the infected mob that was hunting them. She dismissed it. They weren't like that. She and Zach were just friends.

Friends who spent increasing amounts of time together, and who shared spine shivering kisses, and who had their first you're-so-jealous squabble.

_It didn't mean anything!_ she tried to convince herself.

But for some reason, it wasn't working anymore.

.oO00Oo.

"Beaver."

Cam spelled out the word on the board and grinned up at Zach, who was smiling back. She wanted to reach out and ruffle his hair, he was so cute.

"That is a good word," he told her.

"Not as good as...Illiterate," she pointed out the word he had spelled on a previous turn, I mean, it was like Word Kung-Fu when you laid that one on the board."

Zach raised an eyebrow, "Word Kung-Fu?"

"Yes Word Kung-Fu," the expression on his face was so cute, she leaned over the coffe table and kissed him. When she drew away, they were both breathless, "You're like a Scrabble ninja."

"Oh."

"Did I tell you how much I love my new shirt?" Cam smiled and looked down at her purple t shirt with white letters that read, "A Genius was Here."

Zach frowned, "On you, it seems almost suggestive."

"And I repeat, I love it. Especially since you won it for me."

Zach blushed, "All I did was guess the number of jellybeans in a jar."

"But come on! Nobody even came close!" Cam ruffled his hair, making him laugh, "Come on, it's your turn."

Zach scrutinized his letter and spelled 'Risque' on the board.

"I can't ever win, can I?" Cam huffed good-naturedly.

.oO00Oo.

"How is even flipping possible?" Cam pointed at the board, "I want a rematch! There is no way that's possible!"

Zach laughed guiltily, "I'm sorry. I cheated."

Cam's eyes went wide. Then it turned into an elaborate scandalized look, , "Noooo..."

"I'll take it back," Zach too the extra letters off the board, "See? It just spells Phantom now."

"But Mr. High and Mighty, Never Never No Never Cheat Zach Addy tried to pull the wool over my eyes?" her voice was dripping with sarcasm, "There's _no way_..."

Zach had on his hurt boy face, "I apologize, Cam, I was just making use of a very gainful opportunity."

"Nah," Cam batted his apology away with the flick of a wrist, "That's fine. We'll just call it even. Want more waffles?"

Zach nodded, so they left the game for a moment and headed for the kitchen.

"You deserve a big fat kiss for this waffle iron, Addy," Cam turned and immediately found herself in his arms, "because you are..." she kissed him, "...the most thoughtful..." she kissed him again, "...human being..." she kissed him longer this time, "...on Earth."

"There is no objective way of measuring that accurately," he told her, then bent his knees a little to accept another kiss.

"Oh. But not everyone would pay attention to a desperate plea for a waffle iron. I mean IHOP can only do so much," Cam's pulse quickened as Zach's mouth traveled down her neck and his hand travelled up her top, "Wow. Um, Zacharoni? You sure you know what you're doing there?"

To her disappointment, he let her go and stepped back, "I'm sorry."

Cam tipped on her toes and caught his mouth with hers, feeling her belly bottom drop asa he grabbed her hips and pulled her to him. She put her arms around him, breathlessly kissing him. Then she gasped as she felt her feet leave the ground.

Her back hit the counter hard but she didn't care. Zach grabbed her again and put her on the counter top, leveling their kisses and making the teacups rattle. The temperature rose significantly as they drank each other in and the teacups continued to rattle.

The doorbell rang.

"_Oh hell_ no," Cam muttered as they pulled apart. Zach sighed.

"I'll go see who that is," Cam slid off the counter and walked to the door. She flung it open.

"Hey Cam!" Angela smiled bright as sunshine. Cam tried not to look too annoyed.

"Hi, Angela. What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing. Just looking for you and Zach. Zach!" Angela walked past Cam, totally the suspicious scowl Cam was sending her.

"Hey! You're still playing Scrabble, huh?" Angela pointed at the game on the coffee table, "That's great."

"Yes, Angela. How did you find..."

"Oh please, you guys can't hide anything from me. I'm the hotter, sexier, female version to Sherlock Holmes," Angela went to the kitchen and dragged Zach out.

"Hi Angela," Zach greeted her, though it was more agitated than friendly.

"This is great. This is so great," Angela grinned, "You two together. Who would have guessed?"

Cam folded her arms, "We aren't together, Angela. Not in the way you're implying."

"How am I implying?" Angela grinned naughtily.

"Your tone implied that we are together in an intimate sense, when we are actually together in a literal sense, being in the same house," Zach interjected.

"Stop talking," Cam whispered harshly.

"Sorry."

"You two are so cute," Angela reached out and grabbed their shoulders.

Cam huffed, "Stop that. What I wanna know is what kind of conclusion you have drawn about me and Zach that makes you so happy."

"That you two play Scrabble, and that you've gone out at least once," Angela counted off on her fingers.

Zach shook his head, "We have not gone out in the way you're implying. We went once together to the arcade, and to a Chinese restaurant, and last night to a Kung-Fu movie."

"Stop talking, Zach!" Cam hissed.

"Sorry."

"So you went to _Virus Mission_! I knew it!"

Cam frowned, "How did you know?"

"I saw you! I sat two rows back! So..." Angela walked over to the Scrabble game set up on the coffee table, "What's with all the secrecy?"

"It's a part of the game," said Cam, brightening a little now that the topic had changed from her and Zach, "We're having a Scrabble tournament. It lasts a week usually, but we had to start over a few times because I kept cheating."

"And I still win," Zach remarked triumphantly.

Cam hit him playfully, grinning, "Okay, yes you do. We were planning on letting you guys in on the next one, if you want to join in."

Angela considered, smiling, "Sure! I'd love to! And I guess everybody else would love to as well. You two seem to be having fun."

"We are," Cam bit her lip, remembering how much fun, "We were about to make waffles. Would you like to stay and have some with us?"

Angela grinned, "Waffles?"

"Yeah. Zach got me a new waffle iron," Cam jerked a thumb at him, "He was tired of me begging him to go to IHOP."

Angela's attention went to their Genius t shirts, "Nice shirts you guys."

"I won them," said Zach.

Cam rolled her eyes, "He can't stop boasting. You know what? Just for that, you're mixing the batter this time," she pushed him towards the kitchen.

"But I don't know how," he protested.

"Well, honey, you're gonna learn!"

Angela followed, wondering if they realised how much like a couple they sounded.


End file.
